Electronic health records are an extremely essential building block in health information infrastructure. Today, critical health related documents are mostly paper-based and they are practically impossible to share electronically. It wastes time and resources to capture this information over and over again when patients move, change insurance carriers, or see multiple providers. It can place patient safety and quality of life at risk when the details of diagnosis or treatment history are lost, overlooked, or can't be retrieved in a timely manner.
What it Means
An Electronic Health Record, usually called EHR, is a system of keeping electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization.
The basic difference between EHR and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is that EMRs are created, gathered, managed and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.
Benefits of EHR
EHR allows physicians and staff members to:
- Decrease and avoid transcription and other medical errors
- Limit medical record access according to requirements
- Access records from multiple locations
- Reduce coding and billing errors
- Increase efficiency and reduce costs, thereby increasing profitability of the practice or facility
- Improve the proper coding of patient encounters - defensible coding
- Provide backup documentation for Insurance company claims inquiries and malpractice allegations
- Comply with HIPAA
- Facilitate decision support, clinical trials, and medical research
- Status of Electronic Health Records in Missouri Hospitals (MHA Hospital Industry Data Institute)
- Electronic Health Records at a Glance (CMS)
- "Accelerating Progress: Using Health Information Technology and Electronic Health Information Exchange To Improve Care." National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, September 2008.
- "Defining Key Health Information Technology Terms." National Alliance for Health Information Technology, April 2008.
- Study: Primary Care Managers Supported by Information Technology Systems Improve Outcomes, Reduce Costs For Patients With Complex Conditions